After Jun, 1984, I started believing everything however incredible it may look.
Please take note of this news. Where from this news came first, S. Guteg Singh Ji ? It is your duty to tell us its source. (Now I know it is on the first page of Daily Ajit Jalandhar, dated: 5. 10. 2006)
In June, 1975, I was visiting an African country, Zambia's capital Lusaka. One Gursikh invited me to a dinner at his home. There, one learned gentleman, engineer by profession, S. Harbans Singh Ji, during the conversation told me that right after the partition in 1947, Hindu leaders from all walks of life and political parties, organised a meeting at Ambala, to discuss the minorities' future in India.
Their views were somewhat like this: "After getting Pakistan, Muslims lost the right to be here, Christians are no problem. Sikhs are Keshadhari Hindus. Slowly they will merge into Hindu main stream as Nanakpanthi Hindus. If they refuse to be like that, then we will attack Pakistan and retreat back up to Ambala and the problem will be solved. So our aim "Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan" will be completed.
I didn't believe this and asked him how he knew about it. He told me that he read it in S. Hukam Singh's paper 'Spokesman'.
After the 1965 war with Pakistan, there were rumours that Indian Government was concerned about its weak position and decided to retreat up to Beas River because it could not defend the whole of the Majha region - the districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, the back bone of Sikh Panth. Only Lt General Harbakhash Singh C-in-C of Western Command, was against it and he took the appropriate action in time against the wishes of higher authorities. I didn't pay much attention to it then. But now when I read an article from 'Daily Ajit' about Lt General Harbakhash Singh being the only person who decided to defend India at Wahga border, against repeated verbal orders to the contrary of C-in-C General Chaudhri I understood what I was told by S. Harbans Singh Ji, in June 1975.
Perhaps Lt General Harbakhash Singh was not made C-in-C because he did not become a part of conspiracy for ruining of the Sikh area, during the 1965 war and General Manekshah was made C-in-C. Similarely Lt General Kulwant Singh was 'punished' because he dared to defy Prime Minister Nehru during the Kashmir war in 1948. And General Sinha was superseded by General Vaidya because he did not agree with Indira Gandhi’s Blue Star Operation the attack on Golden Temple which was a complete onslaught on the Sikh nation and all their religious places. But General Vaidya had not only agreed to be a part of this conspiracy but he planned and guided this henious crime against the Sikh Nation in Punjab. He was awarded for this crime appointing him C-in-C by Indira, instead of General Sinha.
In June 1978, one evening we were sitting and talking after dinner, at S. Chain Singh Saini's home in Amsterdam (Holland). S. Saini said that the time is coming when they will attack and capture Golden Temple, drink alcohol, and smoke there. I was very upset on hearing this and asked how could it be possible ? He remineded us that it had happened before at Massa Rangharh's time.
Towards the end of 1983, I read a statement by S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra Ji (the SGPC chief) that commandos were being trained in mountains of Chakrata to attack Golden Temple. But I didn't pay attention, thinking that was a political statement by a politician.
Here in Sydney, some weeks before the attack, Bhai Sahib Subeg Singh Ji, one day told me that the Indian Government is going to attack Golden Temple. To stop it, we should protest here so that the Indian Government should know that there are Sikhs in the other parts of the world too and, not only in India. But I didn't believe that such a thing would happen.
Some time before Kanishaka's blow up on Ireland's sea, I read an advertisement in one Punjabi newspaper published from Canada. It said almost like this, "Be patriotic, fly Canadian Pacific. Why fly by Air India and risk your life ? No body knows when the Indian government will blow its own aeroplanes to blame Sikhs".
I used to think. about the partition of Punjab of 1947 and the holocaust that followed; that our previous generations were very ignorant, fanatic, and did much wrong to one another, making excuse of religion. I used to think that now people are more educated, understanding and tolerant and wrong things of that sort won’t happen again now.
One night we were sitting at one Sikh family's home for dinner in Brisbane Qld. After dinner S. Satnam Singh Ji from Tully (Qld) said that the Sikh Reference Library was not burnt down. It was taken by the government. He continued that the Indian Government will examine it thoroughly and make changes in the books according to their plans to undermine Sikhism. Once they have made the desired changes they will give it back to the Sikhs. He said his source was his relative who was Radha Swami. I thought it was just a jest but later it turned out be true.
My faith was shaken very badly on first November 1984, when Delhi and almost all over India Sikhs were killed, burned, and raped. After reading Dr Sangat Singh's book 'The Sikhs in History' I came to know that all this was pre planned by Indira herself. The media and even Sikh media too give name to this holocaust as 'Delhi Dange' to minimise its aftermath but they were not only 'Delhi Dange' it was genocide of the Sikh nation through out India.
How can a naive person like me, who always reads religious books, always thinks about good things, imagine that this thing can happen to people what happened to Sikh Nation, in November 1984. In the city where largest number of Sikhs live. They are richer than any other place. About seven percent their population, Twenty percent in police, air Force's chief was a Sikh. Head of State was a Sikh. Second largest powerful Sikh organisation, DSGMC was there. Mayor was a Sikh. in the right eyes of the world while people were what was going on? Ambassies, media almost all the chiefs of world govenments were there. Three days holocaust was carried on without any restrictions. When given time was completed, after seventy hours, govenment stopped this carnage on its own. No body was punished for this crime against humanity. Who lead this carnage, were repeatdly rewarded by the govenments instead of punishing them for their henious crimes. Only I can think, at this time that Human is 'capable' to do unimaginable harm to another human if he doesn't has fear of retaliation: even worse if he can make some excuse of religion, nation etc.
It also be known that that was not only 'Golden Temple Attack' or simply 'Blue Star Operation'. It was a complete onslaught of Indian Army on the whole Sikh Nation and its religious places in Punjab to break the back bone of Sikhs and to make them realise who is the 'Boss' of this country!. We gullible people minimising it only saying 'Golden Tample Attack'.
Please do not pay attention to my poor English but try to understand my feelings.
Santokh Singh
One of the darkest chapters of Indian and Sikh history
Blue Star is a stigma on the forehead of Indian culture and civilization. It is a black spot on Indian democracy and its love and concern for Human Rights.
June 3, 1984, the Martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev: that was the day the Army chose to surround Guru Arjun's temple. The onslaught started two days later on the night of June 5 around 7 p.m. The total number of people killed during Operation Blue Star at Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar , Punjab and other gurudwaras as well as the marching villagers and Army deserters is more than 12,000 in numbers.
Mary Anne Weaver a British correspondent in her report to Sunday Times, London June 17, 1984, observed "not since independence has the Army been used in such numbers - about 15,000 troupes took part in the assault." The rest of Punjab was flooded with soldiers to put down internal rebellion. The specially picked and trained Indian soldiers were supported by tanks and armoured personnel carriers and yet it took them more than 72 hours of continuous all-out battle to gain control of the shrine which was defended by the followers of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Brahm Chellany, the only foreign correspondent who managed to remain in Amritsar after the government had ordered them out, reported the statements of doctors and police officials that many of the Sikhs killed in the attack had been shot at point-blank range with their hands behind their backs. Some of these bodies with hands tied behind the back were photographed. This is also borne out by the testimonies of survivors. While the Darbar Sahib was under huge attack, other Army units were battling their way into 74 other gurudwaras in Punjab .
In their book, "The Sikh Struggle," Ramnarain Kumar and Georg Sieberer write: "The Army which had suffered a heavy toll in three days of battle went berserk and killed every Sikh who could be found inside the temple complex. They were hauled out of the rooms, brought to corridors on the circumference of the temple and with their hands tied behind their back, were shot in cold blood. Among the victims were many old men women and children."
What is tragic is that a tense situation which could have been resolved without a shot being fired was allowed to deteriorate to the point where the sacred sanctity of the Golden Temple complex was violated and desecrated in the most brutal and unholy way. Thousands of innocent visiting pilgrims and temple workers lost their lives in a sacred place of worship. The Akal Takht, the seat of supreme Sikh temporal power was reduced to rubble. Harmandir Sahib was riddled with over 300 bullets. The Sikh library with precious manuscripts of the Gurus was burned to the ground. The Temple treasury Toshakhana with priceless historical artifacts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was destroyed. The continuos reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Harmandir Sahib was interrupted for the first time in hundreds of years. These events have forever left a permanent scar on the Sikh psyche.
The destruction and loss of life marked the darkest chapter in Sikh history this century. This event marked a critical turning point for all Sikhs around the world as it made them realize that they could not take the existence of their religion for granted.
MARY ANNE WEAVER A British Correspondent in her report to Sunday Times, London [June 17, 1984], observed: "NOT SINCE INDEPENDENCE HAD THE ARMY BEEN USED IN SUCH NUMBERS-ABOUT 15,000 TROOPS TOOK PART IN THE ASSAULT, WITH ANOTHER 35,000 STANDING BY-TO PUT DOWN AN INTERNAL REBELLION. NOT EVEN IN THE MORE RUTHLESS DAYS OF EMPIRE HAD THE ARMY BEEN USED TO STORM SUCH AN IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS SHRINE."
According to Sunday Telegraph, London , June 10, 1984. "MUGHAL EMPERORS AND BRITISH GOVERNORS ALIKE TRIED MILITARY SOLUTIONS TO THE SIKH PROBLEM AND SUCCEEDED ONLY IN ADDING TO THE ROLL OF MARTYRS CHERISHED BY THE PROUD AND PRICKLY PEOPLE. SIKHS HAVE LONG MEMORIES. THEY HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN OR FORGIVEN THE DAY IN 1919 WHEN GENERAL DYER ORDERED HIS TROOPS TO OPEN FIRE IN THE SACRED CITY OF AMRITSAR AND MRS.INDIRA GANDHI MAY WELL HAVE CAUSE TO RUE THE DAY SHE DID THE SAME."
Former Indian prime-minister Rajiv Gandhi [Son of Indira Gandhi] who visited Chandigarh (before Operation Blue Star) in the first week of May, 1984 had chosen to describe JARNAIL SINGH BHINDRAWALE as a religious leader. Asked specifically by media-person, "Is BHINDRAWALE an extremist?," Rajiv Gandhi evaded a reply and said, "This is for you to evaluate." He was further asked, "Do you think he is a political leader?" Rajiv Gandhi responded positively, "He is a religious leader and has not shown any political inclinations so far".
Blue Star is a stigma on the forehead of Indian culture and civilization. It is a black spot on Indian democracy and its love and concern for Human Rights. ‘Blue Star Operation’ raped Indian consciousness and projected Sikhs as militants and mercenaries of loot, arson and plunder - a race which saved the Indian society and protected its centuries old legacy in the middle ages of its history. ‘Blue Star Operation’ crushed brave Sikhs who during the freedom struggle made maximum sacrifices at the altar of Indian's freedom from foreign yoke. After the attainment of Independence of India, Sikhs protected the borders of India from foreign invasions and enabled India to become self-sufficient in the production of food grains.
Sikhs were punished by the Congress rulers particularly by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi whose wrong policies were opposed tooth and nail by Sikhs during the dark days of emergency. Realizing that Sikhs could dethrone her from the Premiership Indira Gandhi hatched a conspiracy to teach Sikhs a lesson with the help of "some Sikh traitors". It was a deep rooted conspiracy to humiliate and annihilate Sikhs and Sikhism from India . Sikhs were projected as "terrorists" over the electronic media as well as in the print media. Religious places of Sikhs were invaded by the Indian army in Punjab . Tanks were used to demolish the old and famous Gurdwaras including Golden Temple and Akal Takhat, Keshgarh sahib at Anandpur Sahib, Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran at Patiala and the historic Gurdwaras at Mukatsar and Tarn Taran. Thousands of Sikh men, women and children were done to death by the Indian army in a cold blooded manner during the Operation Blue Star. Innocent devotees were gunned down in the Parikarma. Tosha Khanna was looted. Sikh Library was burnt, Kotha Sahib and Bungas were destroyed. Sikhism was defamed. Sikhs were defaced. The modesty of Sikh psyche was outraged ironically by those very forces which were once nurtured and cultured nourished and protected by Sikh Gurus.
Congress party especially the Gandhi family though the Operation Blue Star depicted Sikhs as traitors in the eyes of the world unmindful of the fact that Sikhs have glorified the glorious traditions of Indian Army by their brave deeds from time to time.
Between June 6, 1984 to January 25, 1998 no Indian leader of any political party ever condemned the Operation Blue Star and its aftermath.
But on January 25, 1998 while addressing an election rally of the Congress party at Chandigarh Mrs. Sonia Gandhi while describing Operation Blue Star and its aftermath as an unfortunate incidents expressed anguish.
What does it mean? Shall Sikhs forget Operation Blue Star and its aftermath? Shall Sikhs forgive all those who are responsible for the GREAT TRAGEDY AND GENOCIDE?
Will any one answer as to why Sikhs were punished? Will anybody fix responsibility for Operation Blue Star?
Tuesday May 25th
100,000 Indian Army troops are mobilized and deployed throughout Punjab surrounding all important Gurdwars including the Golden Temple complex.
Friday June 1st
Thousands of pilgrims start to gather at the Golden Temple complex to celebrate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev on June 3rd.
As Jarnail Singh Bindranwale sits on the roof of the Langer hall, police snipers open fire on him. They missed and Sikh militants fired back. A seven hour skirmish during the night lasting until the morning leaves 11 dead and 25 injured. There were bullet holes in the Langer building, in the marble pavement (parkarma) surrounding the Golden Temple and in the Golden Temple itself.
Sunday June 3rd
All communications including phone lines to and from Punjab are cut. Road blocks prevent anyone from entering or leaving Punjab and all journalists are expelled from Punjab . A total curfew is imposed and as many as 10,000 pilgrims are trapped inside the temple complex. Milk vendors from the villages who supply milk to the city of Amritsar are shot dead for violating the curfew orders.
Monday June 4th
The army starts firing on the temple complex and their is a gun battle lasting for 5 hours. Using machine guns and mortars the army fires at militant positions atop the two 18th century towers called Ramgarhia Bungas, and the water tank behind Teja Singh Samundri Hall as well as surrounding buildings. At least 100 are killed on both sides.
Tuesday June 5th
At 7:00 p.m. Operation Blue Star, the invasion of The Golden Temple begins with tanks of the 16th Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army moving to enclose the Golden Temple complex. Troops are briefed not to use their guns against the Golden Temple itself or the Akal Takht. Artillery is used to blast off the tops of the Ramgarhia Bungas and the water tank. Scores of buildings in and around the temple complex are blazing. One artillery shell lands more than 5 km away in the crowded city. In the narrow alley behind the Akal Takht paramilitary commandos try to get into the temple. Some make it to the roof but are turned back due to the heavy gunfire. Meanwhile tanks move into the square in front of the northern entrance to the Golden Temple known as the clock tower entrance.
At 10:30 pm commandos from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment try to run down the steps under the clock tower onto the marble parkarma around the sacred pool. They face heavy gunfire, suffering casualties and are forced to retreat. A second wave of commandos managed to neutralize the machine gun posts on either side of the steps and get down to the parkarma.
The Akal Takht was heavily fortified with sandbags and brick gun emplacements in its windows and arches. From here and the surrounding buildings the militants were able to fire at any commandos who made their way in front of the Gurdwara.
Two companies of the 7th Garhwal Rifles enter the temple complex from the opposite side on the southern gate entrance and after a gun battle are able to establish a position on the roof of the Temple library. They are reinforced by two companies of the 15th Kumaons. Repeated unsuccessful attempts are made to storm the Akal Takht.
Wednesday June 6th
After midnight tanks are used to break down the steps leading to the parkarma from the hostel side and an 8-wheeled Polish-built armoured personnel carrier makes its way towards the Akal Takht. It is destroyed by a Chinese-made rocket propelled grenade launcher.
Six or more Vijayanta tanks enter the temple complex crushing the delicate marble inlays of the parkarma and plough their way towards the Akal Takht. Orders arrive and the tanks start firing their large 105mm cannons equipped with high explosive squash-head shells into the Akal Takht. These shells are designed for hard targets like armour and fortifications. When the shells hit a target, their heads spread or squash on the hard surface. Their fuses are arranged to allow a short delay between the impact and the shells igniting, so that a shock-wave passes through the target and a heavy slab of armour or masonry is forced away from the inside of the target armour or fortification.
The effect on the Akal Takht, the most sacred of the five Takhts, is devastating. Over 80 shells are pumped into the sacred Gurdwara. The entire front of the Takht is destroyed and fires break out in many of the different rooms blackening the marble walls and wrecking the delicate decorations dating back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Marble inlays, plaster and mirror work, filigree partitions and priceless old wall paintings are all destroyed. The gold dome of the Akal Takht is also badly damaged by artillery fire. At one stage a 3.7 inch Howell gun is mounted on the roof of a building behind the shrine and fired a number of times at the beautiful dome. At the other end of the Temple complex on the easternmost side a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment were invading the hostel complex where many of the innocent pilgrims were in hiding as well as the temple administration staff. There was no water because the water tower had been destroyed and it was very hot.
(Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.G.P.C.)
"They cut our electricity and water supplies. It was very hot in the rooms. There was no water. We had only two plastic buckets of water. (Harchand Singh) Longowal had to place two people as guards over the buckets. Many people would squeeze their undershirts to drink their sweat to quench their thirst."
Around 1:00 am the Army entered the hostel and administrative buildings and ordered everyone out and made them sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel. There were about 250 people who came out.
(Bhan Singh)
"Suddenly there was a big explosion. All hell broke loose. It was pitch-dark. People started running back into the verandah and the rooms. I and Abhinashi Singh were sitting next to Gurcharan Singh, the former Secretary of the Akali Dal whom Bhindranwale accused of murdering Sodhi. Gurcharan was shot as he tried to run inside. We realized that soldiers were shooting at us. They thought someone from among the crowd had exploded the grenade. But it was probably thrown by extremists on the water tank overlooking the Guru Ram Das Serai (Hostel). We ran to Tohra's room and told Longowal what was happening. Longowal came out and shouted at the Major. He said, 'Don't shoot these people. They are not extremists. They are employees of the S.G.P.C.' The Major then ordered his men to stop shooting. Later in the morning we counted at least seventy dead bodies in the compound. There were women and children too." Among the dead were 35 women and 5 children. The survivors were made to sit in the courtyard of the Guru Ram Das Hostel until curfew was lifted the next evening. They were not given any food, water or medical aid. People drank whatever water was in puddles in the courtyard from the blown up water tank.
(Karnail Kaur, mother of 3 young children)
"When people begged for water some soldiers told them to drink the mixture of blood and urine on the ground." Many of the young men in the group of innocent unarmed civilians were then shot by the soldiers.
(Bhan Singh)
"I saw about 35 or 36 Sikhs lined up with their hands raised above their heads. And the major was about to order them to be shot. When I asked him for medical help, he got into a rage, tore my turban off my head, and ordered his men to shoot me. I turned back and fled, jumping over the bodies of the dead and injured, and saving my life crawling along the walls. I got to the room where Tohra and Sant Longowal were sitting and told them what I had seen. Sardar Karnail Singh Nag, who had followed me, also narrated what he had seen, as well as the killing of 35 to 36 young Sikhs by cannon fire. All of these young men were villagers."
(Ranbir Kaur, School Teacher)
"Early on the sixth morning the army came into the Guru Ram Das Serai and ordered all of those in the rooms to come out. We were taken into the courtyard. The men were separated from the women. We were also divided into old and young women and I was separated from the children, but I managed to get back to the old women. When we were sitting there the army released 150 people from the basement. They were asked why they had not come out earlier. They said the door had been locked from the outside. They were asked to hold up their hands and then they were shot after 15 minutes. Other young men were told to untie their turbans. They were used to tie their hands behind their backs. The army hit them on the head with the butts of their rifles."
(Sujjan Singh Margindpuri)
"The young men and some other pilgrims were staying in Room Number 61. The army searched all the rooms of the Serai. Nothing objectionable was found from their room. Nor did the army find anything objectionable on their persons. The army locked up 60 pilgrims in that room and shut not only the door but the window also. Electric supply was disconnected. The night between June 5th and June 6th was extremely hot. The locked-in young men felt very thirsty after some time, and loudly knocked on the door from inside to ask the army men on duty for water. They got abuses in return, but no water. The door was not opened. Feeling suffocated and extremely thirsty, the men inside began to faint and otherwise suffer untold misery. The door of the room was opened at 8 am on June 6th. By this time 55 out of the 60 had died. The remaining 5 were also semi-dead."
By morning light, there is only sporadic sniper fire from the rubble of the Akal Takht. By late afternoon the army was firmly in control of the Temple complex and curfew was lifted for two hours to allow people who were still in hiding to come out.
(Giani Puran Singh)
"I went to the Harmandir Sahib ( Golden Temple ) on 5th June around 7:30 in the evening because I had to ensure that religious ceremonies were performed. The moment I stepped on to the parkarma I stumbled across a body. Bullets were flying and I had to take shelter behind each and every pillar to reach the Darshani Deorhi. Another body was lying there. I ran a few yards and reached the Akal Takht. Night prayers start at Harmandir Sahib five minutes after they start at the Akal Takht. I wanted to find out if the path (recitation) had started there. I had a glimpse of Bhindranwale. We did not speak to each other. Around 7:45 I came out of the Akal Takht and ran into the Darshani Deorhi. I ran towards Harmandir Sahib, unmindful of the bullets flying past my ears. I began night prayers. Soon a colleague of mine, Giani Mohan Singh, joined me. Seeing the intensity of the fire we decided to close all the doors, barring the front door. Soon we completed all religious rites. We then took the Guru Granth Sahib to the top room to prevent any damage to the holy book. The Head Priest, Giani Sahib Singh, had given clear instructions that under no circumstances was the Guru Granth Sahib to be taken to the Akal Takht if the conditions were not right.
Looking through the window-pane from the first floor of the Harmandir Sahib, I saw a tank standing on the parkarma with its lights on. I thought for a moment that it was the fire brigade come to collect water from the srowar (holy pool) to put out the fire which was raging in almost every room. A few minutes later my belief was shattered when I saw the vehicle emitting fire instead of putting it out. By 10:30 or so around 13 tanks had collected on the parkarma. They had come after crushing the staircase from the eastern wing where Guru Ram Das Serai, the Langer and the Teja Singh Samundari Hall are situated. One after another the cannon fire lit the sky. When the first shell hit the bottom of the Darshani Deorhi, creating a hole in it, I saw the room with the historic chandni (canopy) presented by Maharaja Ranjit Singh catching fire. One after another the big bombs hit the Darshani Deorhi in quick succession, and what was once a lovely building was now on fire. The Toshakhana (Treasury) was also on fire. Occasionally a bullet would hit the Harmandir Sahib. We were 27 people inside, mostly ragis (singers) and sevadars (temple servants).
In the early hours of the morning of 6th June we took the holy book down and performed the religious rites that are performed every day, like maharaj da prakash karna (unfolding the holy book) and reciting hymns from the scriptures. The two side-doors were closed and the front and back doors were open. Bullets kept hitting the wall both inside and outside, ripping off the gold surface at various places. Soon after we finished reciting prayers one of our colleagues, Ragi Avtar Singh was hit. We pulled him into a corner. Another bullet came and hit the holy Granth Sahib. We have preserved this book.
In the meanwhile the pounding of the Akal Takht was continuing. There was no letup in the fire in other places either. We were thirsty and desperate for water. We crawled to the holy pool to get water for ourselves and for the wounded colleague. Around 5pm they announced on loudspeakers that those hiding in the Harmandir Sahib should come out and that they would not be shot dead. While myself and Giani Mohan Singh remained inside, others walked out with the arms above their heads."
Over 300 bullet holes were counted in the Golden Temple itself. With the lifting of the curfew innocent Sikhs thought that by coming out from hiding they would now be safe. Sadly this was not the case.
(Narinderjit Singh Nada, Temple Information/Public Relations Officer )
"On the fifth night, the night of the real assault, mortars started throwing up plaster. My wife and I and my two daughters decided to go down from our flat on the first floor to the office, which is on the ground floor. At this point I thought of surrendering but I was told by a Bhindranwale man, 'One more step outside the complex and you are a dead man'. Faced with this threat to my entire family plus the insecurity of the office room, I decided to move down to a small basement where there was a fridge. An exhaust fan outlet in the basement proved a life saver. I could hear soldiers speaking outside and different instructions from their commanders. Next to the basement was another cubicle facing the Temple , where a sewadar used to sleep. I heard the army drag out this man. He was shot. Since extremists had been using all possible openings as pill boxes and grenade launchers the soldiers decided to lob grenades into all such openings, including my fan outlet. The minute I heard the order we all moved under a staircase. Minutes later two grenades came in. The splinters took three inches away from most of the walls. But luckily we escaped. We spent the night under the staircase. Eventually at about 11 am on the 6th my wife noticed an officer standing outside. She called out to him to attract his attention and requested him to rescue us. She told him that she had two young daughters. The officer behaved decently and said, 'Don't worry, I too have two daughters. Nothing will happen to you. Stay put.' He organized chapattis, pickles and drinking water. He eventually let us out when curfew lifted.
We had to step over dead bodies strewn everywhere. We were taken to the square in front of the main clock tower entrance. The minute the soldiers saw me, a male member of the group, they positioned their rifles on their shoulders with the barrels pointing at me. I think they were about to shoot me when a brigadier who recognized me intervened. We were then led by soldiers across the parkarma to the library side. A lieutenant accompanied us. Upon reaching the other side he asked me to stand against the wall and lined up a firing squad. He asked me to say my prayers. I requested to say good-bye to my wife and the two daughters. At this point the brigadier showed up again and shouted at the young officer, 'What the hell are you doing!' The officer said, 'Sir, I misunderstood your order. I thought this man was to be shot.'
Now we were made to sit on the ground. My hands were tied behind my back. We were about 70 in that lot. All of us were told to keep our heads down. A slight movement of the head resulted in a sharp rifle butt. We spent the whole night sitting there." Outside the Temple complex the army troops were on a brutal rampage, killing and looting surrounding houses of Sikhs.
(Subhash Kirpekar, Journalist)
"On the way back to the hotel (afternoon of June 6th) I witnessed a scene at the Kotwali which is blood curdling. This is where some soldiers were kicking some of the 11 suspected terrorists as they knelt on their bare knees and crawled on the hot road surface."
(Giani Chet Singh)
"The people were taken out of their houses. Men's hands were tied with their turbans. Women's necks were sought to be asphyxiated with their plaits. Then they were shot in the chests. No quarter was shown to women, aged or children; in the eyes of the troops every Sikh was a terrorist. Those who survived died of thirst. Their houses were ransacked, and then put on fire. The area surrounding Darbar Sahib ( Golden Temple ) was full of debris. What happened is beyond description of sight, hearing or words." As night fell the Army troops were given the order to storm the remains of the Akal Takht and shoot on site anyone they found inside. The troops encounter little resistance and find dead bodies and the smell of death everywhere.
Thursday June 7th
In the early hours of the morning the troops discover the bodies of Bhindranwale and his closest followers in the basement of the Akal Takht. The day was spent in clean up operations flushing out any remaining snipers and collecting the dead bodies. Soldiers were openly walking about the temple in their shoes, drinking alcohol as well as smoking. Blood and bodies were strewn all over the broken marble of the parkarma, with putrefying corpses floating in the sacred pool of nectar and the smell of death everywhere.
The Darshani Deori the entrance gate of the Golden Temple which houses many priceless treasures was destroyed and looted. Although fighting had now died down, the central library complex was mysteriously burned down. Many priceless manuscripts, some in the Gurus own handwriting were lost forever.
The number of people who lost their lives will never be known. The Army refused to let the Red Cross enter the complex and cremated the dead before the bodies could be identified or claimed by their families. The Amritsar municipal sweepers refused to clear the dead bodies away but were eventually persuaded by offers of rum and being allowed to strip the bodies of all valuables. They piled the dead into garbage trucks and unceremoniously cremated them. Family members were not allowed by the army to claim the remains or perform any traditional funeral rites. It is clear that thousands lost their lives in the Temple complex.
Elsewhere across Punjab hundreds of Sikhs were killed in the army operation at the same time which saw 42 Gurdwaras raided at the same time as the Golden Temple, including high casualties at Moga, Mukatsar, Faridkot, Patiala, Ropar and Chowk Mehta.
Kar Seva is the ceremonial cleaning of the sacred pool is normally undertaken every 50 years. A special Kar Seva was undertaken in 1985 to replace some of the damage. Tens of thousands of Sikhs participated and the sacred pool of nectar was completely drained and cleaned.
Little was done by the Indian Government to heal the badly bruised ego and the psyche of the Sikhs. Restoration work of the Darbar Sahib has taken 15 years to complete. The Akal Takht has been entirely rebuilt. The marble of the parkarma has been replaced in sections with new marble. Repair work on Harmandir Sahib included rebuilding the temple dome and walls with new gold. The Ramgharia Bungas have been repaired and Teja Singh Samundri Hall has been left, pockmarked with bullet holes as a reminder of the tragedy.
What was one of the darkest chapters of Sikh history, reminiscent of the persecution the Sikhs faced at the hands of the Mughals has acted like a lightening rod for all Sikhs. It should not be viewed as a cause of incitement of hatred, but rather as a jolting reminder to Sikhs that they cannot take the existence of their religion for granted.
General Vaidya was chief of army when Operation Blue Star took place. Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha killed army chief general A.S.Vaidya at Pune.
Beant Singh, was the body guard of late Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. He killed Indira Gandhi at her residence on October 31, 1984. She had ordered the army to attack Sri Darbar Sahib under Operation Blue Star.
"PHYSICAL DEATH I DON'T FEAR, DEATH OF CONSCIENCE IS A SURE DEATH." - Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Innumerable Sikhs were mercilessly tortured and killed by the police in fake encounters and their dead bodies were cremated as unidentified and unclaimed. Atrocities on innumerable Sikhs continued unabated … "Bhai Avatar Singh", was subject to indescribable tortures by Indian police. His abdomen was burnt with hot iron, arms were battered during interrogation hot rods were pierced through the soles of his feet and flesh was pulled with the pliers.
As caretakers of the Sikh religion, it is up to all Sikhs to actively participate and make sure that the message of the Gurus and the Sikh religion survives and grows, overcoming any and all adversities and hatred.